Miracle in Hell's Kitchen
by Spotsylvania
Summary: After Elektra's death, Matt tries to balance his grief with the confession to Karen that he is Daredevil. Wanting to take down the Hand for good, he searches out the Punisher to ask for his help. Before they can act, though, they find out her body has been stolen from the cemetery. Meanwhile, two people steal Elektra from the Hand for their own purpose. A Witch and a Wolverine...
1. Resurrection

The ninjas of the Hand sealed up Elektra's coffin inside their underground layer, their symbol displayed on the front of it. What they didn't notice was two people hiding in the shadows. As soon as the ninjas left, a masekd man clad in yellow and black walked over to the coffin. He lifted the lid off and put it on the floor. He looked over the fallen Elektra, "I see what Murdock meant by her beauty..."

A woman clothed entirely in red, with a headpiece sitting on her brunette hair, joined him, "Yes, she is magnificent for sure. We must see to it that the Hand doesn't get the chance to resurrect her and turn her into one of their assassins. That cannot happen by any means..."

"Then you put the lid on while I carry her, Wanda," the man gently lifted the body out and draped her over his shoulder.

"Christ, this thing is heavy... Why couldn't you do this, James?" the red-clad woman barely managed to replace the lid over the coffin.

"Because I already lifted it once. Now stop complaining and let's get out of here before those evil ninja things come back," James Howlett pointed to the exit.

Wanda Maximoff rubbed her forehead, "Pheww, alright let's go."

The man known as Wolverine carried Elektra back where they came from, followed closely by the one and only Scarlet Witch.

They made it out with careful stealth before getting into a car and driving way to an apartment they lived in.

* * *

Wanda stared looked over the body lying on their couch before turning to James, "Shall we get started? I'll cast the hex while you feed her your healing factor."

Wolverine nodded, "I'm ready to get this over with. Let's do it."

She began reciting the words to an ancient gypsy spell while he inserted a syringe into his arm and filled it with blood.

"That should prep her body for the resurrection. Now it's on you, Logan," the Scarlet Witch pointed out.

"Here goes nothing," James took the syringe and pierced the skin of Elektra's forearm, siphoning the blood containing his healing factor into the vein, "If this goes the way we planned it, then she should revive any moment..."

The two vigilantes waited as the healing factor went to work. The sutured stab wound slowly disappeared and color came back to the pale whiteness of the body. Her heart started to beat as her blood began flowing again. Elektra's eyes opened and she gasped as she took in a long breath, restored to life by the Scarlet Witch and Wolverine. She immediately sat up on the couch and looked around, frightened and in shock at the new sights that greeted her. Seeing the rugged man with sideburns sitting nearby and the mysterious women clad in red, she finally found words, "Wh-what's happening? Who are you?"

Wolverine smiled just a bit as he looked into her eyes, "I'm James, and she's Wanda. Or Wolverine and Scarlet Witch if alter-ego names are what you're into. There's only the two of us, but we like to think of ourselves as Avengers..."

Wanda walked over to the stunned Elektra and knelt down to be at eye level with the sitting woman, "Welcome back, Elektra..."

 **The next chapter will see the revived Elektra get answers from Wolverine and Scarlet Witch as to what they want with her and Daredevil and the Punisher coming into the picture as well! Please review if you like it :)**


	2. The Beginning

**Here's Chapter 2! Sorry for the delay, but I needed a bit of time to get the creative juices flowing. Updates should be more frequent from here on out. Please review if you like it :)**

"The last thing I remember was Nobu stabbing me in the gut. I think I said to Matthew, 'This is not the end'. Wait, did I die?!" a panicked Elektra checked her stomach, only to find the wound wasn't there, "What the hell is going on?!"

The Witch put a hand on her shoulder, "Yes, you died. The Hand was preparing you for an eventual resurrection, no doubt to use you as an assassin," she looked back at Wolverine, "My husband and I couldn't allow that to happen."

Matt's lover ran her hand along her stomach, still reeling from this new turn in her life, "So you took me from them, and then brought me back to life? But how?"

Logan pointed to the tiny incision in his arm, "I have something called a healing factor that allows me to recover from any injury I sustain. Essentially, I can't be killed," he then gently touched the incision on her forearm, "Some of my blood is inside you, which contains the healing factor. Once Wanda prepped your body, I injected you with my blood. It healed your wound and restored your heart. Once your blood was flowing, it was only a matter of time before you needed to take a breath. And that's how it happened. It won't be long before the Hand finds out we took you. Once they do," he held up his hand and three indestructible adamantium claws emerged from his knuckle, "Let's just say there'll be a little welcoming party for them."

Elektra watched in stunned silence as the claws retracted into his hand. She struggled to come up with something to say, "Th-thank you, both of you... I'm not really sure what to make of this, other than to ask why?"

James' wife took off her headpiece and placed it on the coffee table, "Now that is a good question. Partly we resurrected you because it was the right thing to do. The other reason is that the emergence of the Hand has made it very clear to us that a powerful force needs to oppose them and do what is necessary to protect innocent people and ourselves. That is why my husband and I are looking to form a team called the Avengers. We think you would be huge help if you joined us, and Matt Murdock as well. We know about his exploits as Daredevil. Not only him, but Frank Castle as well. Of course he would have to dial it back on the murdering," Wanda smiled and kept her hand on Elektra's shoulder to assure her of her good intentions, "We would be grateful if you would consider allying yourself with us..."

Her eyes glowered, revenge against the Hand on the brunette's mind, "You don't need to convince me. If you can help me get revenge, then it can't be soon enough. But I need to see Matthew again. Let him know that I'm alright..."

James nodded, "I agree with that, and it doesn't hurt that it meshes with our goal to recruit him as well."

Wanda consented as well, "If it's alright with you, we'd like to go with you. Not only to protect you but to meet Daredevil as well. For now, I think you should have something to eat. We all should. It's been a long day, and tomorrow will be here soon enough."

Elektra shook her head, "That's fine. Does he know who you are?"

Wolverine laughed, "Wanda's pretty well-known as a rich socialite. She uses that image as a cover so no one knows about her powers and her marriage to me. It's better that way, considering how powerful she truly is..."

"And that would be?" Elektra asked.

"To be honest, I don't know the limits of my magic, and I don't want to know..." Wanda shuddered a bit.

The female ninja wanted to press the Witch on that point, but her husband interjected, "Elektra, there will be enough time to discuss my wife's powers. Right now, it's more important to focus on forming this team," he took a breath before delivering some news, "We couldn't find your sais, but Wanda took it upon herself to cast you some new ones..."

Before Elektra could say anything, Wanda opened a drawer in the coffee table and retrieved two shimmering steel sais. She gave them to her, "I created these from pure magic and decided to improve them a bit. No one can wield them except you and myself, since I created them. If an enemy tries to use them, the magic I've imbued will act as a barrier and incapacitate them. You will not have to fear being stabbed by your own weapons."

Elektra held the glimmering sais in her hands. She had to admit they were beautiful, and they felt natural to her touch. It wasn't the same as her originals, but she would make it work for her own well-being, "I have to say you've persuaded me to join the, what do you call it, Avengers?"

* * *

The next morning, Matt Murdock sat in his office chair, seemingly calm in his demeanor, but in deep turmoil on the inside. Foggy Nelson had left for another law firm, but Karen Page still worked here.

He was seething at the Hand and Nobu. They had taken away Elektra, his Elektra. He didn't want to contemplate revenge, but he couldn't fight the urge for it any longer. The Hand needed to be stopped, and he knew he had to turn to the person he least wanted to turn to in order to accomplish that goal. The look of pain on his face at the thought of turning to Frank Castle was interrupted by the sound of Karen's voice, "Matt, there's somebody here to see you..."

He got up, "Who is it?"

"Nice place you got here, bub. Not bad for such a new attorney," a man with distinct sideburns stepped out from behind Karen, "My name's James Howlett. I represent a potential client interested in your services."

"I'm pleased to meet you. Can I ask who your client is?" Matt asked Logan.

"She's my wife, Wanda Maximoff," James replied.

The man known as Daredevil recognized the name, "The millionaire antiquities dealer? I didn't think she was married..."

"There's a reason for that... Anyway, is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Yes, just follow me."

The two of them went into a small side room near the open office, Matt closing the door behind him.

"It's been a while, Logan. I haven't seen you since you went up to Canada a few years ago, and now you're married to a rich socialite. Call me impressed," Daredevil remarked, breaking the facade they had created in front of Karen that they didn't know each other.

"Yeah, I needed some time after I was experimented on. The U.S. military reconstructing my bones by adding adamantium wasn't the easiest thing to deal with..." Wolverine said in a far-off tone.

"You did volunteer for that. So was it worth it being a guinea pig?" Matthew asked him.

"I would say so. They did pay me, so that helped. And it's a lot harder for me to feel physical pain, and I have these," James flashed three claws each from both hands, "These babies can cut through anything."

"Hmm, in addition to your healing and tracking powers, it would seem that you're almost a metahuman of sorts. So, does your wife know of your abilities?" the lawyer put him on the spot.

"Oh, she knows," the ex-military test subject smirked, "Tell me, Murdock, have you ever heard of the Scarlet Witch?"

Matt frowned at the title, "I've heard that name before. Just rumors of a woman with untold powers in magic, that she has no clue how to deal with. Why? Is Wanda-"

Logan cut him off, "Yeah, she's her. I'll tell you about how we met later. It's a long story... Can we discuss the business at hand?"

"Of course, you said she was interested in being a client?"

"Mainly to look after her finances, which are pretty damn large."

"I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth, but is there a catch to this? You are asking me to take on a super-powered witch as a client. There has to be more to it."

"There is, but you'll find out more later. For now, just be happy you have someone who can bankroll you and Karen. I heard about Foggy leaving. That's got to be tough."

Murdock sighed, "That wasn't the only thing... I lost someone really close to me, the woman who could understand who I truly am."

Howlett nodded, "Daredevil..."

Matt's eyes shot up from looking down at the floor, "You know?"

Logan grinned, "I know more than you think, bub. Hell, we've been friends a long time. It didn't take me long to figure it out. Wanda helped with that."

He was unsure how to deal with the revelation, "So what will you do now that you know?"

"Not a damn thing. What you're doing is good. I'll let you go for now and tell Wanda that you're interested. She'll want to have a face-to-face."

"When can I expect her visit?"

"Later today, if that's alright?"

Matt nodded, "I think that will do just fine. I look forward to it."

James smiled, "See you later then, bub..."

* * *

Back at the couple's apartment, Elektra was still asleep. Wanda was keeping watch over her, making sure she didn't have any reactions to being resurrected. Wolverine's wife touched her arm so she could channel her magic. It would help her get a better picture of what Elektra's life had been like. The Scarlet Witch felt the pain of the ninja's upbringing, trained since childhood to be an assassin, the many murders she had committed, her romance with Matt, and the fight with the Hand that had led to her death. All of this brought tears to Wanda's eyes. They gently streaked down her cheeks as she contemplated what a sad life Elektra had lived.

There was one aspect of her magic that her husband did not know about. One that even she was nervous to admit to. That was her power to alter reality for a person. She had never tried it before, but knew it existed. The toll it would take on her body would be steep, as any spell came with a price. That price being that she would age physically despite keeping her beautiful appearance and eventually die young. Fortunately, James allowed her to inject his healing factor after each spell she cast, reversing the price and allowing her to retain her natural age.

Wanda knew that Elektra would struggle to be moral even after being resurrected due to her upbringing. She also felt that no one should have to go through what the female warrior had endured, especially the memories. The Witch decided to attempt to alter Elektra's past with her magic, indeed to change the past of the woman. She concentrated all her efforts to do this, weaving her all-powerful magic into a tapestry to change the reality of the woman's past. Despite the taxing strain it placed on her, Wanda continued her work.

The lethal training Elektra had been given by Stick was replaced by similar non-lethal training done by an ordinary martial arts expert. Each murder Elektra had committed was erased, the victims restored to life by virtue of their deaths never happening. Every theft or break-in, any highly immoral or illegal action she had taken ceased to exist. Elektra's life was made to be what it should have been without the assassin training since childhood. She was still a skilled fighter with the same abilities, but her past was one not of misery, but of happiness.

The extremely powerful spell finished, an exhausted Wanda slumped back in her chair. It had inflicted a tremendous price on her, aging her from 35 to 87. Her face and body were now elderly. Now she was on the verge of death, having assumed the role of God to remake Elektra's life.

Wolverine arrived home on his motorcycle, stricken with a sudden sense of unease about his wife. He rushed upstairs to their apartment and unlocked the door. Howlett raced to the guest bedroom and saw Wanda dying, her hair white and skin wrinkled heavily with age. She looked up at him, gasping with what little energy she had, "Logan, help..." Her eyes shut and her breathing began to slow.

"You're not dying on me, Scarlet," he knew a very large dose of his healing factor would be needed, which would mean he couldn't fight for several days, perhaps weeks, but it was worth it.

He made an incision on his arm and poured a lot of blood into a considerably large syringe. He quickly looked for the vein in Wanda's crumpled forearm. Having found it, he injected the blood containing his healing factor into her body.

The regenerative liquid coursed through her, gradually spreading to all her parts of her body. Logan watched as the wrinkles in her skin slowly disappeared, her hair turning from white to brunette, and her beautiful face taking on its young appearance again.

Wanda opened her eyes again. She smiled weakly, "Not a moment too soon, James. You saved my life, as you always have..." she placed both hands on his face and kissed him, "Thank you, my love..."

Wolverine nodded with a small grin, "It's what I do, Scarlet..."

Her strength was returning to her quickly. She looked over at the sleeping Elektra, "Her past is gone. I played the role of God to undo everything..."

He wasn't sure what to make of that revelation, "You did what?"

His wife turned her gaze to him, "I literally changed her reality. All the assassin training, the brainwashing as a child by Stick, the murders, any crime she committed. All of it undone..." the Scarlet Witch sighed, "I made it so none of those things ever happened. All her victims are alive, and she's still just as skilled a fighter. Only without the lethality mindset attached to it. She is now... innocent..."

Her husband was silent for a long time, taking in the information and trying to make sense of it. He nodded slowly, "You did the right thing. Just don't ever do it again. The next time it might kill you, and I couldn't live with myself if that happened..."

Wanda got an inkling that he knew, "You're aware that I had this ability?"

"I had an idea. Picked up a few cues here and there to come up with the guess. Normally I'm not one to promote playing God, but in this case it was warranted. I'm not sure Elektra will see it that way, assuming you tell her the truth. I wouldn't do that, by the way," James explained to her.

"No, I'm not going to. Besides, her life is essentially the same. Just without the unlawful killing. Honestly, brainwashed as a child with violence? The cruelty in people puzzles me sometimes..." she said in a low voice.

A murmur from Elektra caught their attention. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up in the bed, yawning and stretching. She looked over at them, "Morning. How did the visit with Matthew go?"

"It went very well. You'll see before the day is out. I didn't tell him you were alive. It's probably better to show him," Logan told her.

Elektra smiled, "I'll be so happy to reunite with him. We had rekindled our love just before the fight with the Hand..." she frowned, "You know, it's funny that he was always demanding that I don't kill anyone when we were dealing with the Yakuza. I've never murdered anyone. I mean, I killed some of the Hand members, but that was justified to save the people they were holding hostage."

Wanda let a hint of a smile cross her face as confirmation that her spell worked reached her ears.

Wolverine nodded as he snuck a glance at his wife, "That is odd how he thinks that. Anyway, why don't we get you something for the stomach?"

"That would be great," Elektra replied with enthusiasm.

* * *

It was around 1pm at the cemetery where Elektra was originally buried. Matt Murdock stood over her grave, sorrow etched in his face, "We had so much left to do... You had finally started to do the right thing after so many years. Why did you have to be taken away from me?"

"You really loved her huh, Red?" Matt turned around to see Frank Castle standing behind him.

"How did you know I'm Daredevil?" he asked the Punisher.

"Being a Marine scout sniper teaches you a few things about reconaissance," Castle told him. He looked down for a moment, "I'm sorry I didn't get there earlier to help you with the Hand. I said earlier that you hadn't known loss like I did, but now it seems we both do..."

Daredevil tried to remain stoic, but a few tears streaked down his cheeks, "I got her to finally embrace her good side. We had rekindled our relationship. It's not fair..."

In an unusual display of emotion, Castle placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know..."

Murdock then noticed something as he took a step forward, "It feels like the ground was disturbed here. There's a hole here I haven't felt before."

Frank knelt down and examined the dirt covering the grave, "Yeah, it looks like there are several small holes. You think the Hand could have dug her body up?"

"Now that I think about it, there was a ninja I fought later on that I know I killed. Maybe they're trying to resurrect Elektra so they can unleash her as the Black Sky? It sounds crazy, but it's believable," Matt mused.

"Indeed it is," they were both startled by a voice coming from behind them.

They turned around to face a beautiful brunette woman clad in a long red coat that went down almost to her knees. Underneath it was a red shirt tucked into black pants that were themselves tucked into black boots.

Castle looked warily at her, "And how would you know that, lady?"

"Because Elektra is at my apartment in Hell's Kitchen, alive and well," the mysterious woman remarked.

Matt got nervous, "Are you with the Hand?"

The red-clad woman laughed, "Ha ha, no. My name is Wanda Maximoff. I believe you already met my husband, Mr. Murdock."

"You're the Scarlet Witch?!" Daredevil was shocked to see the woman the rumors around the world had told of.

"I do go by that name in the presence of James, yes. Suffice it to say, we got Elektra's body away from the Hand after they dug her up. Then we resurrected her so they couldn't do it and turn her into a brainwashed assassin again," Wanda explained to them.

"How is she?" he blurted out.

"She's doing well, but she really wants to see you. And my husband and I would like to see you as well, Mr. Castle," the Scarlet Witch turned her attention to the Punisher.

"What for?" Frank kept his hand on the barrel of one of the guns strapped to his upper leg.

"You won't find out if you don't come. I assure you, it will be beneficial to you," she said cryptically.

Matt had no reservations about going to see Elektra. He was ecstatic she was alive and not in the custody of the Hand, "I'll go with you. I want to see her more than anything..."

Seeing that Murdock was going to go regardless, Castle made up his mind, "I'll go as well, but don't try anything."

"Follow me. My car is nearby," Wanda pointed to a red sedan on the road leading into the cemetery.

"We could be walking right into a trap," the Punisher said to Daredevil as followed the Witch to her car.

"I doubt it. If she wanted to kill us, she probably would have tried to already. From what I've heard, she's the most powerful person in the world," the blind lawyer shrugged off his concern.

"You better be right about that, Red," the ex-Marine said in a steely tone as they reached the car.

"Gentlemen first," the female warlock unlocked the doors with a button on her keychain.

Castle got in the front passenger seat while Murdock took one of the back seats. Maximoff closed the door as she settled in the driver's seat, "Next stop, Hell's Kitchen."

 **For those of you who have heard of House of M, the Scarlet Witch has the power to alter reality quite easily. I didn't want her to be overpowered, so I made it so that she can alter reality for a person only at great cost to herself. I've drawn from the ongoing comic of hers that magic comes with a price. Only here the price is reversed by Wolverine's healing factor, which is part of the reason why they're married. I wanted to see how people would react to a Logan/Wanda pairing, since that has never been mentioned in the comics to my knowledge.**


	3. Rise of the Ultimates

James sat on the couch in the living room, eating a late lunch with Elektra. He was reading the day's edition of the New York Post, "Sokovia Accords ratified. What's this about?"

Elektra looked up, "What are you reading about?"

"Apparently the Avengers name was already taken. Have you heard of that group of vigilantes or heroes, whatever you want to call them, Tony Stark heads up?" Wolverine asked her.

"It sounds familiar. Go on..." the ninja urged him.

He continued reading, "It looks as if there was some sort of internal conflict between them over these Accords. I guess what it does is puts his Avengers under U.N. control, so they have to go through all that procedural crap if they want to go into other countries and resolve any threats. Apparently there was a big fight between Stark's group, he's known as Iron Man, and the one led by Steve Rogers, he's Captain America. It got pretty nasty from what it says here. Hopefully it will take away attention from when we go after the Hand..."

"These Avengers don't know about you or Wanda?" she was puzzled.

"We keep a very low profile in terms of having powers. Wanda has her socialite reputation as an antiquities dealer, but that's about it. Neither of us want Stark, Rogers, or some member of the U.S. government knocking on our door. We don't need that kind of attention in our lives."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. I prefer operating in the shadows myself."

There was the sound of the door to the apartment unlocking. A few moments later, Wanda, Frank, and Matt appeared in the living room

"Matthew!" Elektra jumped up and hugged him, wrapping him tight in her embrace.

"I thought I'd lost you..." Daredevil felt whole again, now that his true love was back in his life, "I'm not letting anything get between us, ever again."

"It just seems too good to be true. We have a second chance, I can scarcely believe it myself..." she rejoiced, "Except I think it isn't too good, it's just true."

It didn't take long for them to lock lips in a display of passion.

While this was going on, Logan introduced himself to Frank Castle.

"I take it you're the Punisher everyone's been talking about. Good to finally meet you, Frank," Wolverine walked over to Castle, "I'm Wanda's husband, James Howlett. I go by a nickname too, Wolverine..."

Frank thought he noticed something, "You ex-military?"

"Yeah, special ops. I've done a fair few of them. Sort of an on-call basis," Logan affirmed.

"How does that work?" the Punisher's curiosity got the better of him.

James flashed his adamantium claws in one hand, not even startling Castle. He pointed to them with his other hand, "Feel them if you want."

Frank did so and nodded, impressed, "What can they do?"

"They can cut through anything. Thing is, I volunteered for a special project the military called Weapon X. They modified my skeleton with the metal in these claws and put an experimental cocktail of drugs in my system. The drugs permanently modified my blood so that I have a healing factor. In other words, I can heal from anything. And the skeleton makes it very hard for me to feel pain," Howlett retracted the claws.

"Can you give me a demonstration?" Castle asked him, "Maybe cut yourself for me."

"Sure," Wolverine agreed, but knew he needed to be very careful. It would take several days to fully restore his healing factor after what it took to save Wanda's life. He cut his palm a bit. It only took about 20 seconds to heal, slower than normal.

"Not bad, Grizzly Adams," the Punisher laughed at the angry grunt that remark earned him from Logan, "So the military experimented on you, and then you agreed to do special forces missions for them?"

"Yep. Hostage rescue, tracking, stuff like that. They pay me well for it, too," the man with distinct sideburns remarked.

"I could have used a guy like you in finding the people who murdered my family. Would have made the search a lot faster," the skull-clad ex-soldier reflected.

"Jesus... I'm sorry..." Logan offered his sympathy.

"Yeah, so am I..." Castle changed the painful subject, "So what do you and your wife want with me?"

By this time, Matt and Elektra had sat down on the living room couch, content to be in each other's presence.

Wanda cleared her throat slightly, getting the attention of everyone, "To answer your question, Frank, it's pretty simple. We all know the Hand is a direct threat to New York City. They have to be taken out before they can put more civilians in danger. It's very clear they have no regard for human life. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to do this with the NYPD or the feds, but many of their ranks would be killed. That's why we need to be the ones to take them out. Each of us have powers and skills that can overpower the Hand if we work together."

Castle interrupted her, "Scarlet, I'm all for taking down the Hand, but I'm still waiting to hear the beneficial part."

She smiled, "I thought you'd never ask, Castle. As Logan can tell you, I've made a fair bit of money in the antiquities market-"

"Try $250 million. That's what her net worth is listed as," Logan put a number to it.

"Goddamn..." even the Punisher found himself at a loss for words.

"I'm willing to bankroll this entire team to ensure our crime-fighting and financial well-being. Elektra's already rich with her father's company, so she doesn't have need of my funds," the Scarlet Witch looked over at Daredevil, "I will be paying you to look after my accounts, if you choose to take me on as a client," she turned her look back on the man with the skull emblazoned on his shirt, "Frank, I want you and Matthew to join Logan, Elektra, and I to form this team to combat the Hand. When I said it would be beneficial to you, I meant it. A considerable amount of money would flow your way and you would be able to use your prowess with guns and fists to help us. I would only ask in return that you refrain from murdering people. I know you only kill the scum of the earth, but I need your help here."

Castle thought for a while on her offer. He did want to continue cleaning out New York's underworld, but his passion for that was tempered a little by avenging his family's demise. He also knew that he'd probably get to kill his share of criminals by taking on the Hand and subsequent enemies. And the money Wanda promised him was a bonus, although that wasn't a big motive for him. With the others waiting for an answer, he made up his mind, "Alright, I'll bite. I'm willing to give this a shot, pun intended."

Wanda was relieved to have convinced him, "Thank you for that..."

Matt Murdock cut her off before she could ask him, "You don't need to ask me. Elektra and I are going to finish what we started..."

Elektra purred a little, "Now that's what I like to hear."

The Witch looked to her husband, "So can we go by the Avengers? I've always liked that name."

"We could, but the name's been taken," Wolverine handed her the newspaper.

His wife read over it, "You have to be shitting me! They took our name. Now what? We should have something to go by."

After a minute or two of trying to think up a name, it was Daredevil that had an idea, "I don't think we really need a name, but for the sake of it I'll suggest something. What about the Ultimates?"

"Has a nice ring to it," the Punisher agreed.

Wolverine only nodded while Elektra didn't voice any objections. Wanda made it final, "Alright, we'll go with that."

With the name decided, the five of them began further discussion on the formation of the Ultimates. Everything was going well until Matt brought up one glaring problem, "We're going to need advanced technology for intelligence gathering, tracking, and communicating with each other on missions. While I know Elektra or Wanda could easily afford that, none of us are technological wizards. We need somebody who's going to coordinate all of that. Someone like Tony Stark..."

"Hell no! He'd bring all the unwanted attention we don't need. There has to be somebody other than him," Frank was not pleased with the suggestion.

"I wasn't suggesting him, rather someone like him," Matt replied with a bit of irritation.

"Well, who the hell else is there that wouldn't mind shacking up with a group of vigilantes and mutants?!" Logan couldn't think of anyone.

"I might know someone..." Wanda placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"And who would that be?" Elektra asked.

"It would mean going to Gotham City..." the Scarlet Witch mused.

 **I think you guys can figure out who Wanda's referring to. I will say that I'm not going to do some big Marvel/DC crossover, rather this will be the storyline for one last member to join the team. The next chapter will explore the mystery person's connection to one of the Ultimates, and delve into her background. Hope you guys review if you like:)**


	4. The Healing Joke

"So you don't even know this woman's name?" Wolverine questioned her.

"I know she goes by the moniker Oracle, and that she's an expert hacker. Other than that, I don't know much," his wife replied.

"So how do we find her in such a big city like Gotham?" Elektra pondered.

"I hobnob with my rich friends there and ask them. Someone's bound to know something," Wanda said.

"Fair enough. Just know I'm coming with you," Logan stated, "I might be able to get a scent on her."

"We all are," Frank remarked firmly, "If we're a team, then this is a good place to start."

Elektra and Matt nodded their agreement. The Hand wouldn't try anything as long as they didn't have Black Sky.

It took about a week to make the preparations for the trip.

* * *

Wanda's sedan exited the highway and into Gotham City, followed by Logan's motorcycle. Frank, Elektra, and Matt were in the passenger and back seats. They made their way to an apartment Wanda kept for her trips to Gotham on business. It was a penthouse with enough room for all five of them. After settling in, the Scarlet Witch called a few of her wealthy friends and clients to set up a party at the penthouse for the next night.

The party was going smoothly, Matt and Elektra blending in as Wanda pumped her friends for information on the mysterious Oracle. Frank and Logan, who were not really keen on parties, went out to a local bar for drinks. James, wanting to stay somewhat sober, decided to leave early, "I'm going to head back to the apartment. Hopefully Scarlet has something by now."

"Suit yourself. I'm going to stay for a bit," the Punisher didn't mind at all.

Wolverine walked out of the pub and onto the sidewalk, but was taken by surprise as he rounded a corner. Just barely stopping before he could hit a woman in a wheelchair, he apologized, "I'm sorry, Miss. Didn't mean to get in your way."

She looked up at him, her young face crowned with long red hair, "It's quite alright..." shock crossed her features, "Logan? Is that you?"

He recognized her upon seeing her face, "Barbara?"

The woman adjusted her glasses, "I can't believe it. It's been years..."

Wolverine let a smile crack his face, "It's good to see you again." His eyes drifted to the wheelchair and a look of anguish overtook him, "What happened to you?"

Barbara Gordon looked apprehensive, "Not here in the open. I was headed home, maybe you can join me?"

"Yeah, of course. I think we both have of catching up..." he said.

James followed Barbara to her duplex in the Burnside district. At her invitation, he sat on the couch and she hoisted herself off the wheelchair to sit next to him, "What brings you here to Gotham?"

"I live in New York with my wife, Wanda Maximoff. I sort of work on-call for the government and I gather you know what she does," Logan explained.

"You're married to the antiques dealer? It's never been mentioned in the press, and I didn't take you for the marrying type," the woman once known as Batgirl was surprised.

Wolverine nodded, "We had something good back in the day, Babs. I don't know why it didn't work. Maybe we just weren't ready..." he mused, "Wanda and I, we have something in common, a certain kindred spirit..."

"Does that have something to do with her being the Scarlet Witch?" Barbara winked at him.

His eyes widened, "No one knows that. How did you?"

She smiled, "I have my methods, Logan. When you're in a wheelchair, it gives one a lot of time to hone certain skills... If she has powers, it stands to reason you do too. I remember when you told me you had latent mutant genes. They must have manifested themselves by now."

James sighed, "You're right... I volunteered for a program called Weapon X. They awakened my mutant makeup to reveal that I had a healing factor in my blood. Basically, I can't die. And then there's this," he flashed the three claws in each hand.

Barbara felt them, "Adamantium, those can cut through anything. So you're warrior now... Anything else?"

"Yeah, the military lined my skeleton with adamantium. It's really hard for me to get broken bones or injuries, so there's that," he added.

There was silence between the two for several moments as Barbara took in the dramatic change to her ex. Eventually he broke it, "What caused you to be in a wheelchair? Did something happen while you were Batgirl?"

She grimaced at the mention of her former alter-ego, "I remember when you found out. You were supportive, but it wasn't enough. I almost lost control one night against Paris Franz and his thugs. I couldn't live with the thought of possibly coming that close to killing someone again, so I retired. That wasn't enough for the Joker..."

"He did this to you?!" Logan's temper started to flare.

Barbara fought back tears as she remembered that night, "I was with my father, Commissioner Gordon, putting together a scrapbook, when there was a knock on the door. As soon as I opened it, he had his gun pointed at my midsection. Then he pulled the trigger... The bullet went into my spine and paralyzed me from the waist down. He-he took naked pictures of me to terrorize my father..."

"My god..." Wolverine was horrified at what the Joker had done to her and her father. He put an arm around her to comfort her, "I'm so sorry..."

She couldn't find any words as she sobbed into his shoulder.

He thought of an idea that could bring some measure of healing to her, "Babs, you know how I mentioned I had a healing factor?"

Oracle looked up at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "Are you saying you can heal me?"

"Yes, I've saved my wife from the physical damage casting her spells causes. I just got back to full strength after she cast a particularly strong spell to help someone out. You could walk again..." Logan suggested.

Barbara felt an inward rush of happiness as she contemplated James' offer. She didn't need to think twice about it, "Yes, of course yes! Thank you, Logan!" she hugged him.

He managed a grin, "I'll have to get a syringe for my blood. It's back at the penthouse I'm staying at. We're in town trying to find some female tech genius who goes by the name Oracle."

She furrowed her brow, "Why do you need to find her?"

Wolverine sighed, "I assume you've heard of the news in New York about a group of assassin ninjas called the Hand?"

Oracle nodded, "You were involved in that?"

"Wanda and I moved there just after it happened. We did a lot of research into it and we didn't like what we found. The Hand is planning to drive New York into chaos through assassinations and organized crime. The police can't stop them, so we have to. Wanda, myself, and a few others. Wait..." the realization of who Barbara was dawned on him, "There's no possible way you could have known she was Scarlet Witch. You said you had your methods. Something like hacking... Babs, are you Oracle?"

She laughed, not surprised he'd guessed her secret, "I see that we're even now. I figured out your wife was Scarlet Witch, and now you've found my secret identity. You said your team was looking for me. Why?"

He took a deep breath to give himself some time to take in that he'd found Oracle completely by chance, and that she was his ex, "My team is going to war against the Hand, and we need someone to provide the technological expertise to keep us coordinated and provide intelligence. Wanda knew of you by reputation, but she doesn't know you're Barbara Gordon," Logan wasn't sure putting Barbara in danger was a good idea when the Joker had nearly killed her, "After what that pasty monster did to you, I have no right asking you to join us in New York. We need you, but I don't want to put you in any danger."

Barbara put a lot of thought into his proposal. She did have a quiet life in Gotham, but the criminal situation in the city wasn't nearly as bad as in NYC with the Hand. That and being away from the place where Joker had crippled her and getting a fresh start were good reasons as well. The only thing that really kept her in Gotham was helping out the various vigilants such as Batman and the Birds of Prey, but those were more distant relationships and she was worn by it. She felt like they were using her. Logan, on the other hand, was offering the chance to walk again and was concerned for her safety. Weighing all these factors, Oracle decided she needed to do one thing before accepting Wolverine's proposal and moving to New York City, "I'm leaning toward saying yes, but I'd like to meet the members of your team first. You said the syringe was back at the penthouse. Can I come with you?"

He felt relief at hearing her reply, "Yes, just let me call Wanda."

Barbara waited while Logan called his wife, "Hey Scarlet, I found Oracle. You mind if I bring her back to the penthouse? She wants to meet the team. You'll never guess who she is."

Wanda was overjoyed to hear his news, but she was curious, "Who is it, Logan? I wasn't able to get much information out of my patrons."

"It's Barbara Gordon, the Commissioner's daughter. She's the hacking genius known as Oracle, and she knows you're the Scarlet Witch," James' voice informed her.

She was not happy to hear that, "She hasn't told anyone, has she?"

He reassured her, "No, and I can vouch for her. You know the history between her and me."

"Yes, I do... And I've made my peace with that," the Scarlet Witch recalled Gordon's history, wincing a bit at the thought of Logan reuniting with his ex.

"There's something else you should know, Wanda. She's in a wheelchair. The Joker paralyzed her from the waist down..."

"Jesus, Logan... Why the hell did he shoot her?"

"It's a long story... I'll let her tell you if she's up to it. I'm going to heal her, and I need to bring her back to the penthouse to do it. So are you okay with that?"

"Of course, Wolvie. I'll tell the others. Frank's a bit tipsy, though," Wanda laughed.

"God, I hate it when you call me that. We'll be there in a few minutes. Bye," Logan said.

"Bye love," his wife replied in a humorous tone.

He put the phone back in his pocket, "She's all set for you to come back to the penthouse and meet the team. Ready to go?"

Barbara shook her head, "Yes, how far is it?

"Not too far. We don't need a taxi," Logan answered.

She wheeled herself to the door, "Let's go then."

As they were walking to the penthouse, Oracle asked about the team, "So who are the other members besides you and Wanda?"

"Are you aware of Frank Castle?" Wolverine said.

"The Punisher? The guy who kills violent criminals is on your team?" a skeptical Barbara questioned him.

"He helped Daredevil against the Hand, and Wanda is paying him good money not to murder people. Believe me, she has her magic ready if he steps one toe out of line," James sought to reassure her.

The former Batgirl felt uneasy about Castle, but she knew the power of the Scarlet Witch would be more than enough to keep him in line, "I suppose I can get past that. Is Daredevil part of the team as well?"

Logan nodded, "Yes, and we both know how good he is as a vigilante. His name is Matt Murdock by the way."

"The blind lawyer? Wow, that must take some skill. I never would have guessed him," Barbara was impressed.

"It is rather surreal, isn't it. Anyway, the last member is Elektra Natchios, who has a controlling interest in Roxxon Corporation and was instrumental in taking the fight to the Hand. She is a very skilled fighter. She's nearly unbeatable," Wolverine relayed this last piece of crucial information.

"Natchios, that name sounds familiar. Is she related to the Greek ambassador?" Oracle inquired.

He nodded, "She's his daughter."

She blew air from her mouth to indicate amazement, "That is an impressive roster. I'd say the Hand's in steep trouble, to say the least. Last question, I promise. Does your team have a name?"

Logan snickered a bit, "We were going with the Avengers, but that prima donna Tony Stark used it first. So Murdock came up with the Ultimates. What do you think?"

Barbara smiled, "I like it. It's strong, but it has an outcast theme to it."

* * *

Wanda, Frank, Matt, and Elektra were waiting in the living room for Barbara and Logan to arrive. Wanda had told them about her husband's past with Barbara and her identity as Oracle. She also made them aware of why Gordon would be in a wheelchair and Wolverine's plan to heal her. There was a knock on the door. Wanda opened it and let Barbara and James in, "Welcome, Miss Gordon. I want to thank you for coming here," she looked to the members of the Ultimates in turn, "The man in the skull shirt is Frank Castle, and Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios are the couple sitting across from him."

"Nice to meet all of you," Barbara smiled.

The Punisher looked her over, inspecting every part of her, "So you're Oracle. Wanda says the Joker put you in a wheelchair. Why did he do that?"

Wanda shot Frank a glare, "Why would you ask that?!"

Oracle cut her off, "It's alright Wanda. If I'm going to join your team, then you should know a little bit of my history. The Joker's a sick son of a bitch who wanted to torture my father. That's why he shot me."

"Rest assured, he won't be so lucky if he ever gets near us," Castle looked down at the gun strapped to his waist.

Barbara nodded uneasily, "I appreciate that. There's also something the rest of you should know. Before I was... crippled, I was Batgirl."

Frank nodded, impressed. Matt and Elektra were a bit surprised, but didn't say anything. Wanda smirked, "Figures you wouldn't tell me that, Logan."

"It was her place to say something, not mine," her husband grinned.

"Fair enough. Barbara, would you like to get to know all of us better?" Scarlet asked.

"Of course, but I want Logan to use his healing factor on me first. I've been in this wheelchair for years. I want to be able to walk again," Barbara looked at her ex-boyfriend.

Wolverine agreed, "Where do you want it done?"

"The kitchen looks nice," Oracle smiled.

The two of them went into the privacy of the kitchen, the others giving them their solitude. Logan retrieved a clean syringe and injected it into a vein as Barbara watched. It filled with his blood, the healing factor contained within it. He capped the syringe and sat down in a chair next to her, "You ready?"

She nodded, "Yes, do it."

He inserted the needle into a vein in her right arm. She took it calmly and waited to see what would happen. The healing factor steadily spread through her bloodstream and reached her spine. It dissolved the bullet in her spine and repaired the damage to her vertebrae. Oracle could sense feeling coming back into her legs, Logan's blood doing its work. After about a minute, the healing factor was done.

Barbara looked over at James and took a deep breath, "Alright, here goes..."

Logan stood up and went a little in front of her in case she needed help.

Oracle grabbed the handles of her wheelchair and pushed up with her hands so she could stand. She gingerly took a step, and stumbled. Wolverine caught her as she leaned on him, "Easy, Babs. Hold on to me and try taking another step."

Barbara held tight to him with one arm and moved her foot forward, then her other foot. She let go and took another step. Then another. She started to walk, successfully crossing the kitchen. Doing it again, her gait became more comfortable. Now Oracle was walking around the kitchen with ease, a big smile crossing her lips, "I-I can't believe it... I can walk again! You did it, Logan!" she ran over and hugged him.

Having heard Barbara, Wanda opened the door slightly, "Is it okay to come in?"

"Please, I'm just so happy I can walk!" an overjoyed Oracle nearly shouted.

Wanda came through the threshold, followed by Frank, Elektra, and Matt. There were smiles all over as they say Barbara with her arms wrapped around James.

His wife chuckled, "Don't get too comfortable with him, Barbara, or I might need to start marking my territory."

"Don't worry, Wanda. This is strictly platonic," Barbara laughed.

She and Logan let go of the hug. Oracle leaned against the countertop, "God, it feels good to be out of that wheelchair."

"So does that mean you'll join our team?" Daredevil asked her.

"Hell yeah I will," she said heartily.

The rest of the night was spent with drinks and Barbara getting to know the other Ultimates more closely. She was becoming more convinced that joining them and moving to NYC would be a good thing.

Over the next couple of days, the others helped Barbara move the stuff out of her duplex. Wanda used her connections to make a quick sale of the unit and to arrange for a moving truck. She had already arranged for Oracle and Elektra to stay in an adjacent apartment next to her and Wolverine. Frank and Matt had their own homes elsewhere in the city.

* * *

At the end of the week, Barbara and Elektra were all settled in their new apartment in New York. Oracle went to work setting up her computer equipment one night. Elektra was out with Matt. There was a knock on the door. Barbara looked through the viewhole. She opened the door to let Logan in, "Hey, what brings you here?"

"Just checking to see how you're doing. Pretty well, it seems," he looked around the apartment.

She walked over to one of her unpacked boxes, "I want to show you something."

When he was next to her, she pulled out a familiar article of clothing, "Now that I'm fully healthy again, I think maybe once in a while I could suit and join you guys."

Logan put his hand to chin, a grin on his face, "I can see that. You sure about this? Battling the Hand will be very dangerous."

Barbara looked down at the suit she held with steely determination, "Oh, I think it's time for Batgirl's return..."


End file.
